Rick Kaplan Leaving CBS News

CBS Evening News executive producer Rick Kaplan announced in an afternoon meeting that Thursday would be his last day with the broadcast and with CBS News, departing even before the show’s anchor, Katie Couric.

Insiders tell us the decision was Kaplan’s.

At the newsroom meeting, CBS News chairman Jeff Fager as well as Couric praised Kaplan for his production and management of the broadcast.

Kaplan re-joined CBS News in 2007 to take over the “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.” During his four-year run, he also did double duty for a time overseeing “The Early Show.”

Before joining CBS, Kaplan was president of two cable networks: MSNBC from 2004-2006 and CNN/U.S. from 1997-2000. Kaplan served two tours at ABC News from 1979-1996 and again from 2003-2004.

But it was at CBS News where Kaplan got his start, first in Chicago, then New York on the CBS Morning News and later as an associate producer on the “CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite.”